Multifunction switch control for elevators



G. D. RoBAszKlEwlcz MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH CONTROL ELEVATORS April 14, 197() Filedl Jan.

Dumon-U INVENTOR. GERALD D. ROBAsZKlEwsCZ United States Patent O "ice 3,506,096 MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH CONTROL FOR ELEVATORS Gerald D. Robaszkiewicz, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Reliance Electric Company, Euclid, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 695,754 Int. Cl. B66b 1/24 U.S. Cl. 187-29 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A elevator call registering control which is responsive to registration of calls following their cancellation and avoids malfunctions due to a faulty resetting of the call registration. Pulse coupling from the call device to the registering control causes the control to respond only to the initial impulse thereby making the control nonresponsive to a continuously maintained call signal.

This invention relates to elevator controls and more particularly to call registration controls for elevators.

Heretofore it has been proposed that various control functions for elevators be instituted in response to the operation of a call switch following the reset of the circuit performing the primary function of that switch. Hall call switches have been arranged to set a hall call stopping circuit which was reset by the stopping of a car capable of serving that call. Thereafter and while the car was stopped an arrangement was provided to permit the holding or reopening of the car doors by operating the hall call switch at the floor. A circuit of this type required that the hall call switch be effective while the car is at the floor of the call. Malfunctions in the systems were experienced where a hall switch was stuck closed since this held the doors of a stopped car open, thereby preventing it from running from the floor, effectively locking out further service by the car and further service from the floor in the service direction of the stuck call switch by other cars.

An object of the present invention isfto improve elevator controls.

Another object is to avoid control failures due to stuck call switches while employing such switches for plural functions which are successively effective.

In accordance with the above objects one feature of this invention resides in coupling a call switch to a multifunction circuit to respond only to the initial signal transient resulting as the switch is operated. One arrangement according to this feature involves coupling a hall call switch, which may be buifered, through a capacitance to the multifunction circuit responsive to the hall call switch and providing a seal and reset means for the circuit to enable it to be reset and re-established following the reset.

The invention will be more fully appreciated from the following detailed description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a logic diagram of pertinent portions of a hall c-all circuit, a circuit responding to an assignment of the hall call to an individual car of a plural car elevator system and the door control circuits for the individual car which are responsive to the registration of a hall call following reset of that call according to this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary across the line diagram of a relay type of hall call circuit for an elevator system according to this invention.

The control as depicted in FIG. 1 has been applied to a four car elevator system serving thirteen oors and is incorporated with controls of the type shown in the United States applications Ser. No. 493,973 by Donivan L. Hall 3,506,096 Patented Apr. 14, 1970 Iand William C. Susor and Ser. No. 494,194 by Donivan L. Hall, James H. Kuzara and William C. Susor, both entitled Elevator Controls, and filed Oct. 8, 1965. Further disclosure of one for-m of the control of this invention is set forth in United States patent application Ser. No.

v610,664 filed Jan. 20, 1967 by Richard C. Loshbough and Gerald D. Robaszkie'wicz and is entitled Backup Controls For Plural Car Elevator System. In particular, more extensive disclosures of the hall call memory, logic circuity and a typical cars demand memory; logic circuitry that has been employed to illustrate the present invention is set forth in FIGS. 2 and 3 of application Ser. No. 610,664 to illustrate the cooperative relation of the elements performing other control functions for these portions of the elevator system. Further detail of a door control suitable to be employed with the exemplary system is set forth in United States patent application Ser. No. 612,724 tiled Jan. 30, 1967 in the name of Gerald D. Robaszkiewicz.

The logic elements employed in FIG. 1 to illustrate the invention are conventional in form. Advantageously they are made up of solid state active elements such as diodes and transistors mounted on printed circuit boards in modular groupings such that per floor and per car groupings are established on the boards. They are conventional, constituting ANDs, ORs, ip flops and inverters typied by AND 22, OR 32, flip op 34, and inverter 27. The ANDs are arranged with a plurality of input terminals upon which enabling signals must be coincident in order to gate a signal at the output. Each OR is a multi-input gate lwhich is gated by a signal to any input. The flip flops are the usual bistable multivibrator having a set input, designated by 5, to trigger the output to an onfcondition and a reset input, designated by rs, which returns the output to an off condition in response to a signal. In the example semi-conductive elements operating from +6 volt and -12 volt supplies have been employed.

The elements shown in FIG. l represent only a portion of the system. Up and down hall call registration switches and suitable buffer amplifiers (not shown) are provided for each floor from which up or down service is provided so that it is usual to have up hall call switches from all but the uppermost floor and down hall call switches from all but the lowest floor. In FIG. l only the pertinent portions of one typical up hall call memory, for the third floor, which is common to all cars serving the third floor is shown coupled to elements individual to a typical car, car #1, for assignment of a third floor up hall call to car #1. In the present disclosure a hall call assigned to a car is termed a demand and the disclosed elements are portions of a demand memory. Each car has a demand memory for each floor and service direction from that floor which it serves. A hall call is assigned to a car as a demand by means of an allotter. An allotter which assigns each hall call to the car best situated to serve that call is disclosed in the aforenoted application Ser. No. 494,194 by, in effect, assigning the call to the car which can provide service to the floor of the call most rapidly while considering the spacing of the car from the call, the loading of the car, special conditions imposed on the car, and the demands and car calls currently assigned the car.

The disclosed portions of a demand memory of a typical car for a typical floor and service direction as they function in a door reopening operation are shown in FIG. l as applied to the pertinent portion of the exemplary cars door control. But one such car door control is required for each car. It is to be understood that the details of the controls for performing the primary functions of a demand memory, that of stopping the car at the iloor of the demand memory when the car is conditioned to provide service from that floor in the service direction of the demand memory has not been shown. For present purposes it is suicient to note that the signal issuing from flip op indicating that car #1 has an up demand for floor three causes the car to run to floor three, stop at that oor, and condition itself so that it is available to run upward from floor three.

Operation of an up hall call switch (not shown) for the third floor causes a signal Three Up Hall Call to be imposed on lead 21 such that AND 22 is gated provided a reset signal is not applied from one of the cars third oor up demand memory reset controls over lead 23 to cause inverter 24 to issue an inhibit signal on lead 25, and provided no car is at floor three to directly assume the call. If a car is at iloor three, it imposes an Any Car at Floor Three signal on lead 26 to cause inverter 27 to issue an inhibit signal to AND 22 over lead 28. The initial transient signal on lead 21 is also passed by capacitance 29 to AND 31 and gates that AND provided no reset signal is applied to inverter 24 to cause an inhibit signal on lead 25.

Gating of AND 22 or AND 31 gates OR 32 to the set input 33 of third Iup hall call memory flip op 34 causing the ilip flop to issue a signal on set output 35 as a Third Floor Up Hall Call to the call finder (not shown), the allotter (not shown), and the third oor up demand memory (partially shown) of the car to which the call is allotted, whereby that car is set to run to the third oor, stop at that floor and make itself available for service upward therefrom (all by means not shown).

Allotment of the hall call to car number 1 results in application (by means not shown) of a set signal on the set lead 36 of floor three up demand. memory flip op 37 for car number 1. The set output from 37 on lead 38 gates AND 39 provided the car is in group service and not set to bypass hall calls. If in group service a signal Car No. 1 in Group Service is imposed on lead 41 from a suitable group service control (not shown) and if no bypass signal is applied to lead 42 to produce a By Pass Hall Calls signal for car number 1, as developed by a conventional load measuring device (not shown), in'- `verter 43 issues an enabling signal to AND 39 on lead 44.

An elective signal Three Up Demand Car No. 1 is issued by AND 39 on lead 45 to enable AND 46 so that it is gated when the car logic direction and position correspond to 4that of the demand. Thus if the cars Logic Direction Is Up signal is imposed on lead 47 (by means not shown), as when the car is ascending, and if the car lead position is at floor three to impose a Car No. 1 is at Floor Three signal on lead 48, as from a oor selector (not shown), AND 46 is gated to issue a Call at Floor Where Car Is signal on lead 49. That signal is passed through an isolating diode to a bus 51 common to ANDs similar to 46 for each demand memory for car No. 1, and is thence applied to AND 52 in the cars door control logic. As the car is set to stop, its controls issue a Set Stop Memory signal on lead 53 the initial transient of which is passed by capacitance 54 to gate OR 5S to set Open Door Memory Flip Flop 56. Flip flop 56 s also set by OR 55 when the direction the car is set to run is reset (by means not shown) to issue a Reset Destination Direction signal on lead`57. While the car is in the leveling zone of a floor and at the tloor for which it had a call, its Stop Memory Is Set signal imposed on lead 58 in coincidence with the signal on bus 51 gates AND 52 to OR 55 and the set input 59 of Open Door Memory Flip Flop 56. An Open the Door signal issues from set flip flop 56 on lead 61 to the door controls.

When the car door is fully open the flip flop 56 is reset. A Door Is Open signal is developed, as from a limit switch actuated as the car door reaches its fully open position, and is applied on lead 62 to the reset input rs of ilip flop 56. The door thereafter is controlled by other means (not shown) to initiate its closing.

Once a car is set to stop at a floor for which a hall call memory is set and the cars destination direction is the same as the service direction of the hall call memory, the hall call memory and the cars demand memory for that oor and service direction are issued reset signals. These reset signals are maintained until the car receives a start signal and initiates its door closing. A Gate Up Demand lReset signal is applied to lead 63 from the pickup of a stop signal until the car start signal. Reset AND 64 is gated by this signal provided there are coincident signals on its other inputs. The car must be in group service for a signal on lead 41, its Destination Directionv is Up signal must be imposed on lead 65 as from a car direction control (not shown), the car must be at the flooi to issue a Car No. 1 Is at Floor Three signal on lead :66 as derived from its lloor selector and no Door Close Request signal can be imposed on lead 67 to cause inverter 68 to issue an inhibit signal on lead 69. For the present purposes it can be assumed that a Door Close Request signal is issued when either a car starting signal is issued at the end of a stop or the car is to be parked and its door open interval has expired.

The reset signal issued by AND 64 is passed through an isolating diode to reset lead 23 and, provided the car is in group service to impose an enable signal on lead 41, it is applied to gate AND 71 to the demand memory ilip flop setting circuit by causing inverter 73 to issue an inhibit signal on lead 74. Lead 23 also applies a reset to the hall call flip flop 34 and inhibits the hall call setting ANDs 22 and 31 by means of inverter 24.

After the termination of the reset signal, as where a Door Close Request is imposed on lead 67, the door closing operation can be interrupted by a passenger in the hall who intends to board the car. The passenger can operate the hall call button to set the door open memory. Such operation is through the setting of the hall call Hip Y flop 34 and the demand memory ilip llop 37. In order to avoid a lockup in the system, as where a hall call button sticks to maintain the signal Three Up Hall Call on lead 21 even after the car has stopped at the iloor and a reset signal has been issued by AND 64, the registration function is effective only upon the initial actuation of the hall button and is non-responsive to a continuously maintained signal.

While a car is at the floor, AND 22 in the hall call memory setting circuit is inhibited. The signal Any Car at Floor Three on lead 26 resulting from the cars presencey at the oor causes inverter 27 to issue an inhibit signal on lead 28 to AND 22. However, AND 31 is responsive to the initial transient of a newly imposed Three Up Hall Call on lead 21 when that signal is applied after the termination of the reset signal 011 lead 23. Thus when the door closing operation has been initiated, a hall call at the iioor gates AND 31 to set ip flop 34 momentarily passing a signal through capacitance 29. The subsequent decay of that signal and inhibiting of AND 34 and OR 32 has no eiect and llip op 34 remains se-t until a reset signal is again reset by a signal on lead 23.

The reimposed set state of flip flop 34 sets up `demand memory ip flop 37 by the signal on lead 35 to AND 75. In the assumed case all other inputs to AND 75 are imposed. That is the door has not fully closed so there is no Door is Closed signal on lead 76 to cause inverter 77 to issue an inhibit signal on lead 78 to AND 75. The M-G Set is Running signal is present on lead 79 since the car is conditioned to run. The car is at the floor and has an up destination direction and is in group service to impose signals on leads 66, 65 and 41 respectively. No reset signal is issuing from AND 71 to cause inverter 73 lto inhibit AND 75. AND 7S issues a set signal on lead 36 to llip llop 37. In turn ilip flop 37 gates AND 39 to gate AND 46 which gates AND 52 to OR 55 and the set lead 59 of Open Door Memory flip flop 56. This issues an Open the Door signal on lead 61 to the door controls.

l During reopening of the car doors, no Gate Up Demand Reset signal is issued to lead 63. When the doors are fullyopened this signal is imposed and 64 is gated to issue reset signals to the flip ops 34, 37 and 56 while inhibiting the setting ANDs 22, 31 and 75.

Avoidance of a control'malfunction resulting., from a continuously maintained hall call signal through/,the use of a direct coupled and a capacitive coupled signaling path where the direct coupled path is maintained open so long as .the car is located at the lioor o f the hall call can also be applied advantageously to a conventional relay type of elevator control. Such application is illustrated in FIG. 2. Ay single hall call registration relay for Vthe third oor up hall call S3U is shown with a lbutton actuated hall call switch 3US and with a third floor up hall call reset relay RS3.U responsive to the stop of any c ar at the third iioor to reset relay S3U. With no car present at the third floor, a c ircuit is established between the suitably energized buses 85 and 86 by manual closure of hall call switch SUS to energize third floor up hall call relay S3U through back contacts 3FX1, 3FX2 and RS3U.'v Relays 3FX1 and 3FX2 (the coils of which are not shown) are individual to the cars 1 and 2 respectively, as indicated by the sufiixinumber, and are energized for those cars while their lead .position when in motion or actual position when stopped is at the third floor. Each car responsive to the hall calls has a car position relay for each floor corresponding;- for example, to the third floor posititon relay for car number one, 3FX1. When any car has a position at the third floor its back contact 3FX1 is open. l

A reset circuit for the hall call relay is made up to reset relay RS3U when the hall call is in registration to close contact S3U in series with that coil and an ascending car islsfet to stop at the third floor. Relay' RSSU and its counterparts (not shown) for resetting every other hall call relay are common to all of the cars and are responsive to individual cars through the oor selectors of those carsfThe stationary floor selector segment for the third floor hall call reset for car number one is represented asi` 3S1. The arrow headed lead 87 represents a parallel circuit to a fioor selector segment for each other car corresponding to segment 3S1. A moveable floor selector brush B1U which commutates the hall call reset segments for the ascending car number 1 is effective in the reset circuit established by that car when they car is at the third floor to engage B1U with 3S1, is setfor up travel to close contact UL1 of the up direction locking relay ULI for car number one (not shown) and is set to stop by the dropping of the car start relay of car'fnumber one CS1 (not shown) to close back contact CS1. A similar circuit to the floor selector up hall call reset brush of the other cars to complete an alternative reset circuit to lead 87 has been omitted.

In operation, a manual closing of SUS energizes S3U through back contacts 3FX1, 3FX2 and RS3U when ,no car is at floor three and no reset signal is imposed forthe three up hall calls. Relay S3U seals itself by its contact in lead 88 and enables a circuit to reset relay RS3U by its contact in series therewith. Relay S3U lsets up suitable call responsive circuits (not shown) to cause at least one car to run to the third floor, stopping circuits to stop a car at the third floor, and door control circuits. Arrival of a car at the third floor positions its floor selector brush B1U in engagement with its segments 3S 1. I=f the car is set to stop or stopped back contact CS1 is closed and if it is set for -up travel contact UL1 is closed to complete an energizing circuit for RS3U. Back contact RS3U is opened when the reset relay is energized to drop hall call relay S3U. Reset relay RS3U remains energized during slowdown of the car and the stop interval. It is deenergized as the car is issued a start signal and car start relay back contact CS1 opens. This permits lback contact RS3U to close. The car doors initiate their closing in response to the energized car start relay CS1 (by means tioor and service direction of the car. This feature is afforded while avoiding a system lockup of the car if the hall call switch remains closed by making the hall call relay responsive only to the initial signal transient of a newly registered hall'call. While the car is stopped at the third floor its third floor position relay 3FX1 is energized to open the back contact in lead 89. An alternative circuit is available which responds to the initial registration 0f the call through capacitance 91 and lead 92. If the door closing is in progress at the time the hall button is depressed, the,button is effective to energize relay S3U through capacitance 91, lead 92 and back contact RS3U. It should be noted that resistance 93 is for charging the capacitance when the call switch is closed and the reset relay is energized. Resistance 93 is so related to the impedance of coil S3U as to have no adverse effect on its operation. y

Relay S3U seals itself and enables reset of relay RS3U. Relay S3U also actuates a door opening control circuit (not shown) to stop and reopen the car door. While the car door is partially closed and its reopening control is activated, the car starting circuit is deactivated to close contact CS1. However, the reset relay RS3U will not drop relay S3U prior to the set up of the door opening circuits and once the door opening circuits are established, the opening to a full open position must occur before a car start signal can again be issued (as is conventional). While the sequences and operating times of the relays are such that on registration door opening is established before the hall call is reset since contact S3U in series with the reset relay closes no more rapidly than the opening circuit, if desired the contact in the reset circuit can be delayed by well known techniques either mechanically when actuated by the call relay or by an auxiliary and delayed slave relay (not shown).

Thus the dual utilization of a resettable call switch with positive means to avoid a lock in of the call circuits where the switch is continuously closed can also be applied to relay type controls in the conventional collective type of group supervisory control.

The invention lends itself to the dual utilization of controls for elevators in other than hall call circuits and it therefore is to be understood that the disclosure is to be read as illustrative of the invention and not as imposing limitations thereon.

I claim:

1. A control for an elevator car serving a plurality of oors comprising a manually operated switch; first means conditioned to a set state in response to said switch when closed; a first signal'path between said switch and said first means; a second signal path between said switch and said first means; reset means for said first means actuated in response to a given condition of said car; said reset means when actuated inhibiting said first and second signal paths; a second inhibiting means for said first path responsive to a second condition imposed upon said car; and means in said second path to pass only transient signals fro msaid switch to said first means, whereby said first means can be reset by said reset means and can be set only as said switch is initially operated while said second inhibiting means is actuated.

2. A combination according to claim 1 wherein said means in said second path is a capacitance.

3. A combination according -to claim 2 wherein said switch is a service call switch for a fioor and said first means is a call memory.

4. A combination according to claim 3 wherein said reset means is responsive to the presence of said car at the oor of said service call switch and the absence of a car start signal imposed on said car.

5. A combination according to claim 3 wherein said second inhibiting means is responsive to the presence of operation of said reset means and an initial operation of said car at the oor of said service call switch. said switch.

6. A combination according to claim 2 wherein each of said first and second paths includes an AND gate. References Cited 7. A combination according to claim 6 wherein said switch is a service call switch for a iioor, said AND of 5 UNI-TED STATES PATENTS said rst path is gated by a coincidence of no car at said 6191592 11/1952 Paubon et al- IS7-29 X oor of said service call switch, operation of said service 31225 869 12/196-5 Schlbh 187-29 call switch, and no operation of said reset means.

8. A combination according to claim 7 wherein said B' DOBECK Pnmary Exammer AND of said second path is gated by a coincidence of no 10 W, E, DUNCANSON, JR., Assistant Examiner 

